Ups, Downs & Wet Sponges..

I can't believe it's been 2 months since my last rant..& so much has happened I've no idea where to start!

Well, against all odds we pulled off our first festival with The Something Else Tea Tent at Bearded Theory in May..& what a gorgeous little festival it was. The weather was very British, but everything else was perfect. The organisers are amazing people & I've built what I think is a lasting friendship with them..

My old Dad had a nasty fall a few weeks ago, & has had an 'inconclusive' chest x-ray..he turned 87 last week & struggles to get his non-sensical words out now..bless him..

My car..well, I thought I was being followed by a rowdy boy racer a few weeks ago, until he turned off & I could still here the horrific noise..I had a look underneath to see a hole the size of my head in the exhaust..adding that to all her other problems, she has now gone to the great scrappy in the sky..well, in Lydney actually..& I have a car with an 'i' on the end now & can overtake without dropping to 2nd :)

My boy has seen the Coeliac specialist, & we are on the verge of making him ill so he can have a biopsy..I've had to make a big fuss about being in theatre with him..he's 3..he's not going under a general without his Mum holding his hand & that is that..

I've made the painful decision to shut my shop..times are hard, & retail is even harder, so as soon as I find a taker for my lease, I'm out..though the festivals are firmly where I'm headed..we're working 4 this year, & have at least 10 lined up for next year..& when you can take the same in a field on a weekend as you can take in a shop in a month, it seems crazy to do anything else..4 years of building it from nothing, with nothing & it will tug..but on occasion I do think with my head..

Writing? Still keeping my hand in, but mostly poetry..in fact, ridiculous amounts of poetry..all rhyming of course, so some would say it's not 'real'..but I like it :)
Still ahven't heard back about Save the World..it's 3 months on Tuesday since I submitted with illustrations, & I did email a little while ago to make sure it had got there ok as other emails I sent at the same time didn't, but I got no reply :(
Little Tiger Press rejected 3 of my kids rhyming picture books, but I didn't expect much else really..

Glastonbury..
Sunburn on noses and no need for wellies
Big splif in one hand & beer in our bellies
Beautiful flags all tied up with strings
These are a few of our festival things..

Colourful folk & walls full of doodles
All kinds of munch from ostrich to noodles
Night time & all of the madness it brings
These are a few of our festival things..

When your band’s on
When your tents up
& you’re feeling glad
Simply breathe deeply & ponder the fact
The next few days willlllllll be mad !!

My brother is coming! It's his first time (at 41) & I'm so excited he's doing it with me..& my friend Jacq..my luvvly travelling buddy..
The camper is raring to go..just got to pack all my gear in, touch up my roots & buy lots of cider, boxes of wine & bacon & bread..I've already ground the coffee etc..
My practical half is staying home with the kids while I disappear for my annual blow-out..& my 4 yr old girl isn't worried because she gets to throw wet sponges at her headmistress at the school garden party on the Saturday..not sure she should be quite as excited about that as she is, but hey ho..apple..tree..

I'm sure there's loads more to tell, but my head has left the building..

Speak soon..x